Instant Eyeshadow

Ever poured over endless magazines and looked longingly at the perfectly made up eyes of celebrities and stars on film and tv? Ever sat in front of your mirror for hour upon hour attempting to recreate these flawless, smoky eyes on yourself, only to end up looking more goth than glam?

Fear not as American beauty brand ColorOn Professional has arrived in the UK with their debut product, eye shadow kit Eye Envy.

The US company has been making their signature item since 1992, with the primary aim of making anyone look as if they have been glamorized by a professional make up artist.

 

In essence, the ‘eye shadows’ are mineral eye shadows laden onto a disposable, single-use applicator, in colours and designs ranging from subtle daytime to smouldering evening looks.

Each appliqué allegedly fits every eye size and shape and can be applied in a matter of seconds.

And  the verdict?

My Colour On Pro Eye envy arrived whilst i was in the office. The result? I have mixed opinions about this product.

The girls cooed over the variety of different colours and shades and were all desperate to try them on. They were really easy to use, far easier than I imagined they would be, though I was surprised that the shadow was more of a wet, gel than smooth powder ( clearly this is what the finishing powder is for, to dry and set the shadow)

While the more novelty shadows went down a treat and did look incredible, I was less impressed by the regular colours. Im not going to lie, I did look a little like a drag queen and I couldn’t get the shadows to match on both sides- one would be higher than the other, one would come out better than the other, and I found it almost impossible to blend the shadow to make it look more’natural’. 

So, for a big night out id say try the novelty shadows like that pictured on my colleague, but if your after a more natural look, stay well clear of these!

meet Robert Best, Principal Designer for Barbie Collector

the handsome Mr. Best

Barbie is 50 and fabulous! But don’t take our word for it. Ask Robert Best, instead. He is the Principal Designer for Barbie Collector. On Friday, June 10, 2009, Mr. Best agreed to speak with us at the Barbie doll’s 50th Anniversary Convention held at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC from July 7, 2009 to July 11, 2009. 

Q: Hello.It’s a pleasure to speak with you Mr. Best, Principal Designer for Barbie Collector. So how long have you been in that position?

Robert: HI! I have been working at Mattel for 15 years now. Who knew?

Q: So what does a Principal Designer for Barbie Collector do?

Robert: As Principle Designer for Barbie you are responsible for everything. It’s a very head to toe kind of job. I am responsible for the look, which includes the style of hair, make up and of course all of the accessories, the shoes, the jewelry, and everything the doll is going to be wearing. I also oversee the packaging. So I am really like an Art Director in a lot of ways because I have to handle the entire look.

Q: That is amazing because Barbie has really changed over the years. Who is the 2009 Barbie?

Robert: The 2009 Barbie is a very active, healthy girl of today. I think she's very plugged in to everything that is going on, including trends and fashions that you see on the runway. Barbie is very relevant and is always current. Barbie is very much a reflection of the popular culture that surrounds her.

One of his collections

Q: We love Barbie and we love her new blog, website and her Twitter updates. She’s fabulous! http://barbiestyle.barbie.com/

Robert: Barbie is absolutely plugged in.

Q: Please describe the beautiful gown that you designed to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Barbie!

Robert: The gown is called Generations of Dreams and it was inspired by the doll of the same name. The gown features a collage of different images of Barbie throughout the years, from her very first 1959 swimsuit up to today. Everyone has a Barbie story and everyone remembers the doll of their generation. Hence the name: “Generation of Dreams.” The [Generations of Dreams] gown is a fun couture take on a wacky idea.

Q: How long did it take to create?

Robert: The gown itself took…it feels like years. But it probably took a few weeks. We had a team in New York sewing and creating the first pattern. We had people in LA doing the beading. It was shipped to Australia. Then it was shipped back to the US. It will be traveling all over the country. The gown is better traveled than i am actually. Lol.

Q: WOW! It’s been a pleasure. Thank you so much for speaking with us.

Robert: It’s been a pleasure.

A few fun facts about the Generations of Dream Gown on display at the Convention:

Eight experts from New York to Los Angeles used 15 yards of pink duchesse satin and silk organza to create the life-size gown. The bodice and skirt are adorned with 50 patchwork prints representing over 50 years of Barbie artwork. Each patch is outlined in countless iridescent sequins, shimmery Swarovski crystals and beautiful delicate trim!

Some of Mr.Best's Sketches for Barbie:

When Doll becomes a Legend

Did you know the original Barbie was named for a real young lady from California named Barbara Handler? It's true! Barbie, the teen fashion doll that debuted in 1959 was created by Barbara's mom, Ruth Handler, who named the doll after her daughter and the rest is doll history.

The First Ever Barbie

It all started in the late 1950s, when Ruth Handler noticed that her young daughter, Barbara, and her friends really liked to play with adult dolls rather than the common baby dolls that were common at the time. These adult dolls weren't three-dimensional, they were all made out of cardboard or paper, so Ruth began to design a three-dimensional adult doll that would make her daughter and her friends happy.

Handler and her husband Elliot had created the Mattel Toy Company in their garage, but by the late 50s it had grown to include a group of ad executives who quickly vetoed Ruth's initial idea and design. They thought the doll would be too expensive to produce and had little long-term appeal. Now we know how wrong they were!

Undaunted, Ruth continued with her idea. She traveled to Europe and when she returned she brought a German doll named "Lilli" with her. Redesigned, Lilli became Barbie, and Ruth continued to pester the Mattel executives until they agreed to produce the doll. The original patent date is 1958. Ruth even hired a fashion designer, Charlotte Johnson, to create a fashionable wardrobe for the doll.

Barbie, with her distinctive blonde ponytail and black and white striped stretch bathing suit made her debut at the 1959 American Toy Fair in New York City, and took the toy world by storm. The dolls literally flew off the shelves. Mattel set a toy selling record the first year Barbie debuted, selling 351, 000 dolls the first year. In ten short years, parents would spend $500 million on Barbie products for their clamoring youngsters.

Skipper. Barbie's best friend :)

Barbie was the first fashion doll, and she spawned many spin-offs, but she and her "family" of dolls are simply the most popular in history. Barbie gets at least 100 new clothing designs every year, and because they produce so many Barbie outfits each year, Mattel has become the biggest garment manufacturer in the world.

Today, Barbie has come a long way from that fashion doll who debuted in 1959. She has sisters, a boyfriend, and represents nearly 100 different nationalities. However, collectors prize the original Barbie and her 50s wardrobe above all else. Barbie and her clothing are one of the most popular collectibles in the world today, and a mint-condition original Barbie can sell as high as $10,000. So, check the attic, the basement, and the storage boxes for your old Barbie treasures. They could be more valuable than you think, and even if they aren't, they'll bring back lots of fond fashion memories!

Some Barbie Trivia:

• The first Barbie cost $3.
• Today, more than 1 billion Barbie's have been sold
• The Ken doll was named for Ruth and Elliot Handler's son
• At first, Barbie was a teenaged fashion model, but she's had over 80 careers since then, from astronaut to a medic in Desert Storm.
• Barbie's full name is "Barbie Millicent Roberts."
• Barbie didn't have a belly button until 2000.
• Two Barbies are sold every second around the world.
• There's an official Barbie collectors site at: http://www.barbiecollector.com/

Fashion Quotes

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion
has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening – Coco Chanel

Seperti apa sih cara para desainer kelas dunia ini mendeskripsikan arti kata ‘fashion’ bagi mereka ke dalam sebuah kalimat? Check this out!

• “Elegance is a question of personality, more than one's clothing”.-Jean-Paul Gaultier
• “I wish I had invented blue jeans. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal, simplicity - all I hope for in my clothes”.-Yves Saint Laurent
• “I've always thought of the T-shirt as the Alpha and Omega of the fashion alphabet”.-Giorgio Armani
• “Chanel is composed of only a few elements, white camellias, quilted bags and Austrian doorman's jackets, pearls, chains, shoes with black toes. I use these elements like notes to play with”.-Karl Lagerfeld
• “I don't design clothes. I design dreams”.-Ralph Lauren
• “Zest is the secret of all beauty. There is no beauty that is attractive without zest”.-Christian Dior
• "The difference between style and fashion is quality"-Giorgio Armani
• "Fashion fades but only style remains the same"-Coco Chanel
• "The best thing is to look natural. but it takes makeup to look natural"-Calvin Klien
• "no matter what a women looks like if she's confident. she's sexy"-Coco Chanel

Sneakers freak

Everybody loves sneakers! Nyaman dan mampu melindungi kaki, itulah yang menjadi jawaban mengapa kita begitu cinta sama sepatu ini. Mau tahu gimana perjalanan sneakers, ini beberapa diantaranya.

1875

Sneakers yang kita kenal sekarang, pertama kali diberi nama Plimsoll (sepatu bersol karet). Pertama kali diciptakan dan digunakan di sekitar tahun ini dan diciptakan untuk permainan croquet di Inggris. Setelah itu, jenis sepatu ini dikembangkan di US.

1908

Converse shoes company, perusahaan sepatu yang didirikan Marquis M. Converse ini, mensponsori berbagai pertandingan basket di Amerika. Dan sampai sekarang tetap menjadi ikon Amerika.

1920

Perusahaan sportswear dari Jeman didirikan oleh Adi Dassler. Perusahaan ini kemudian terkenal dengan nama Adidas. Yang paling hebat dari perusahaan ini adalah pembuatan training shoes-nya yang melibatkan proses pengerjaan menggunakan tangan.

1923

Chuck Taylor, memilih sepatu Chuck Taylor All Star untuknya bertanding, inilah promosi yang paling hebat unruk perusahaan footwear ini. Selama lebih dari 50 tahun, sepatu Chuck Taylor All star, menjadi must have item shoes untuk hampir semua pemain basket dan para remaja di dunia. Sepatu ini juga mempunyai nickname yang bermacam-macam dari Chucks, Cons, dan Connies. Percaya atau tidak, Chuck Taylor All Star adalah sepatu paling terkenal dalam sejarah, dan telah terjual sebanyak 744 juta di 144 negara.

1950

Murah dan mudah didapat itulah yang menjadikan tahun ini sebagai masa keemasan sneakers. Sepatu ini dianggap sebagai lambang dari rebellion (jiwa pemberontak) sekaligus menjadi fashion statement saat James Dean memakainya dengan Levi’s Jeans dalam filmnya yang berjudul Rebel Without a Cause.

1962

Phil Knight, atlet lari dari University of Portland, dan pelatihnya Bill Bowerman, menciptakan sepatu atletik dengan biaya murah dan teknologi tinggi bernama Blue Ribbon Sports (BRS). Tahun 1968, nama BRS berubah menjadi Nike, nama ini berasal dari nama dewa kemenangan di Yunani.

1990-Today

Sneakers menjadi primadona di seluruh belahan dunia. Selain nyaman, sneakers could make you a Fashionista. Just look how Paris Hilton, Mary Kate, and Lilly Allen get a little sneaky pretty.

Fashion Items that you have to know

Sebagai pecinta fashion sejati, kamu harus tahu arti kata-kata penting berikut!

1. Aviator Sunglasses

Artinya: Pelindung sinar matahari yang lebar dan menutupi sbagian wajah.

Berasal dari: Kacamata pilot militer Amerika pada tahun 1958.

Tahukah kamu? Kacamata jenis ini adalah satu-satunya aksesori yang pernah dibawa ke bulan di tahun 1969.

2. Bomber Jacket

Artinya: Pakaian hangat dari bahan parasut atau kulit, yang berkaret dan gembung di daerah tangan, dada, plus perut.

Berasal dari: Jaket pilot pesawat yang membawa bom di jaman Perang Dunia II.

Tahukah kamu? Aslinya, bomber jacket dilapisi dengan bulu domba.

3. Bowler Hat

Artinya: Topi bulat yang keras dan terbuat dari bahan felt.

Berasal dari: Nama keluarga Inggris, penciptanya di tahun 1850.

Tahukah kamu? Aksesori kepala ini sering dipakai sama tokoh-tokoh terkenal, seperti Charlie Chaplin atau musuhnya Batman, The Riddler.

4. Frock

Artinya: Terusan tipis longgar yang bisa dipakai tanpa kancing maupun resleting.

Berasal dari: Baju dalam perempuan pada abad 16 sampai 19.

Tahukah kamu? Di abad ke-17, frock adalah jaket cowok yang panjang plus tebal, dan biasanya dipakai oleh para petani.

5. Mules

Artinya: Sepatu bulat, kotak, atau lancip, tanpa hak maupun berhak tinggi - asal tertutup di bagian depan dan terbuka di bagian belakang.

Berasal dari: Sejenis sandal rumah di abad ke -18.

Tahukah kamu? Gara-gara Marilyn Monroe, sepatu ini terkenal di tahun 1950-an.

6. Petticoat

Artinya: Rok berbahan ringan yang sering dipakai sebagai dalaman rok tipis.

Berasal dari: Rok dalaman di tahun 1500-an.

Tahukah kamu? Awalnya, petticoat sering ditambahkan kawat untuk menahan bentuk luar rok lebar.

7. Stiletto

Artinya: Sepatu dengan hak yang mengecil pada ujungnya.

Berasal dari: Bahasa Italia yang berarti pisau kecil yang tajam.

Tahukah kamu? Hak stiletto tertinggi di dunia adalah 16 cm.